POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE N ARCH TECTURE 2من اصل2

The building is purified if it floats above cushions of air with a receding
external walls or pilotis .
Contrast was induced by Ie Corbusier in his slab towers in U.N secretarial
Building between the two wide glass elevations with contrasting plain walls
on the two narrow sides.
His horizontal cubic masses were internationally floating on air and carried
on pilots. The same contrast was achieved by orthogonal forms for the
main body on circular garage in villa Savoy and cite d’habitation with spiral
stair way. Contrast can be achieved by high piercing horizontal, vertical or
spiral atriums.
Classically, architecture form followed a positive compact approved with
possible negative open or covered inner courts. This produces all the same
perspective from all angles of approach. This concept was very popular in
modern architecture especially in Miesian approach in his horizontal or
vertical slabs. He was keen on dealing with elevations in prefabricated glass
panels. This was adopted by his followers as n Philips Johnson & Sarinen
and other works. .
However, external ‘1egative spaces were introduced in plans formed by
contrasting fingers forming external courts. Each wing is penetrated by
appropriate functional fenestration, balconies or curtain walls as «e have it
in the new Bauhaus by W. Gropius. The external courts are additions to the
matter of formal beauty in architecture. The same thing any interior space
can be improved with contrasting negative interior niches.